Plier type tool

ABSTRACT

A plier type tool, especially of the type in which the plier jaws can be locked in adjusted closed positions and wherein the opposed surfaces of the jaws are especially configured for gripping articles of different shapes while exerting twisting effort or pulling or pushing effort on the articles.

l/IIlI/IIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIM -(@IIIllII/IIIIIIIIIIIIA United States Patent1191 1111 3,859,874 Joeckel Jan. 14, 1975 [5 PLIER TYPE TOOL I 2,842,9977/1958 Wentling 81/418 [76] Inventor: Stanley V. Joeckel, 549 Terhune FEI N PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Dr., Wayne, NJ. 07470 414,066 7/1934 GreatBritain 81/426 [22] Filed Mar 15 1973 506,053 9/1954 Canada 81/380 [21]Appl. No.: 341,504 Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith 7 AssistantExaminer,Roscoe V. Parker Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Albert L. Jeffers;Roger M. [52] US. Cl. 81/367, 81/5.l R, 81/425 R 51 rm. c1 B25b 7/12,B25b 7/02 [58] Field of Search...'... 81/426, 425 R, 425 A, 418,

- 81/367, 380, 5.1; 7/54 [57] ABTRACT A pller type tool, especlally ofthe type 1n whrch the [56] References Cited plier jaws can be locked inadjusted closed positions UNITED STATES PATENTS and wherern'the opposedsurfaces of the aws are esv pecially configured for gripping articles ofdifferent 2 8:235 4 8 shapes while exerting twisting effort or pullingor 2,668,538 2/1954 Bakeriiz: II: :1: 81/426 pushmg effort the armies2,733,624 2/1956 Dowidat 8l/426 10 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTED3.859.874

SHEET 10F 2 I "ulna/lull!!!) PLIER TYPE TOOL The present inventionrelates to a plier type tool and particularly of the type of plier toolin which the jaws can be clamped in adjusted closed positions thereof.

Pliers of the type referred to are well known and include an adjustabletoggle mechanism for moving the jaws relative to each other and whichtoggle mechanism will, upon closing the jaws, snap over center andthereby fixedly clamp the jaws in the closed position thereof.

As mentioned, such plier type tools are well known, but heretofore havehad relatively simple jaw configurations and have been somewhat limitedin utility.

With the foregoing in mind, a primary objective of the present inventionis the provision of a plier type tool of the nature referred to in whichthe jaws are especially configured to provide firm gripping action onwork pieces of various shape.

Another object is the provision of a plier type tool of the clampingtype in which the jaws are configured so that the tool can be employedas a handle for manipulating other tools such as files, drills, reamers,burring tools, taps or the like.

Another object is the provision of a tool of the nature referred toadapted for pushing and pulling or twisting operations in which the mainhandle of the tool is offset in such a manner that the line of action ofpushing and pulling or twisting forces exerted on the handle alwaysremains within the confines of the jaws of the tool.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of aplier type tool of the nature referred to which has the jaws soconfigured as to enable the jaws totake a very close grip on articleswhich must be withdrawn from an object, such as broken drills and taps.

A still further object is the provision of a plier type tool of thenature referred to in which the jaws, while having specialconfigurations for special purposes, can still be employed in the normalclamping and squeezing operations that regular pliers perform.

The foregoing objects as well as still further objects and advantageswill become more apparent upon reference to the following detailedspecification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich: FIG. I is a side elevational view of a plier type tool accordingto the present invention with the jaws in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1 with the jaws in open position and with thetool partly in section.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the jaws in widely opened positiongripping a rod-like member.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the jaws in nearly closed positionand gripping a rod-like member smaller than the one shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view indicated by line 55 on FIG. 7 showing theconfiguration of the jaws of the tool at one point therealong.

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 5 and is indicated by line 6-6 on FIG. 7 andshows the jaw configuration at another point therealong.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view indicated by line 7-7 on FIG. 5 showing thejaws in longitudinal cross section and in nearly closed position.

FIG. 8 is a plan view looking in at the working face of one of the jawsand is indicated by line 8-8 on FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view like FIG. 8 but looking in at the working face of theother jaw and is indicated by line 9-9 on FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing a flat plate-like membergripped between the jaws.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 10 but showing the mannerin which a triangular member of larger size can be gripped by the jaws.

FIG. 12 is a view like FIG. 11 but shows how a triangular member ofsmaller size can be gripped by the jaws.

FIG. 13 shows the jaws gripping a circular member.

FIG. 14 shows the jaws gripping a square member.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A plier like too] according to thepresent invention comprises a first handle member having a jaw elementfixed thereto at one end. Another jaw element is pivoted on the handlenear the aforementioned one end thereof and a toggle mechanism isprovided between the handle and the pivotally supported jaw member foractuating the jaw member toward and. away from each other. The togglemechanism is adjustable to vary the closed position of the jaw membersand snaps over center when the jaw members reach the adjusted closedposition thereof so that the jaw members are fixedly clamped in theadjusted position.

According to the present invention, one jaw has a groove of a certainsize extending longitudinally thereof commencing from the outer end andthe other jaw member has a smaller groove extending longitudinallythereof in a protuberant portion which is arcuate when viewed from theside so as to eliminate the necessity of a multiple position pivot whengripping either large or small objects and which, when viewed from theend, has flanks receivable inside the groove in the first mentioned jawportion.

In the extreme outer ends of'the jaw portions, recesses are formed whichare in opposed relation and which taper inwardly toward the free outerends of the jaw members thereby providing a recess in which screw headsand nail heads and the like can be received and very firmly gripped.

The arrangement for adjusting the toggle is in the form of a screwextending into the rear end of the main handle and this screw preferablyhas a palm washer fixed thereto for exerting force on the tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawingssomewhatmore in detail, the tool shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a mainhandle member 10, of heavy sheet metal, for example, which has fixedthereto at one end a first jaw member 12. At the other end of the handle10 there is a threaded aperture inwhich an adjusting screw 14 isthreaded which has on its outer free end the rounded palm washer 16.

A pivot pin 18 extends through handle 10 near the back end of jaw member12 and pivotally mounted thereon is a moveable jaw member 20. Moveablejaw member 20 is biased toward open position by a tension spring 22which will be seen in FIG. 2. Jaw member 20 has a portion projectingtherefrom and pivoted thereto by pivot pin 24 is a lever 26.

Lever 26 is also pivotally connected at 28 with an arm 30 that extendsupwardly into the slotted lower side of handle 10 and has an end portion32 somewhat cup shaped in configuration and engaging the somewhatrounded inner end 34 of adjusting screw 14.

Arm 30 has a protuberant portion 36 engageable by a release lever 38pivotally connected to lever 26 at 40 which is usable, in a conventionalmanner, for releasing the tool from closed position.

The exact position that jaw member will occupy relative to jaw member 12when lever 26 is in its FIG. l position is determined by the adjustmentof screw 14. In FIG. 1, the jaw members are substantially fully closedbut rotation of screw 14 will permit the lever system consisting oflever 26 and arm to snap over center with the jaw 20 spaced asubstantial distance from jaw 12.

As will best be seen in FIGS. 5 through 9, upper jaw member 12 is formedwith a region near the outer free end which is inthe form of a rightangle notch, indicated at 38, the juncture of the legs of which is atthe top and which tapers inwardly toward the free end of jaw 12. v

.Jaw 20 is formed with a correspondingly shaped but inverted recess 40and these recesses cooperate, as indicated in FIG. 7, to form anarrangementwhereby a nail or screw head, as indicated at 42, can begripped by the tool for exerting a pull on the tool, or whereby a shortprotruding length of nail or screw or a broken tap or drill can begripped by the tool for removal thereof from an object.

Rearwardly of recess 38, jaw. member 12 is formed with a further linearright angle notch 44, the juncture of the legs of which is also at thetop and at the right end of which, as viewed in FIG. 7, there is ashoulder 46 which is at the rear end of recess 38 and which faces towardthe outer free end of the jaw members while at the rear end of groove 44is a recess 48 which can also be engaged over a nail head or screw heador the like.

Rearwardly of recess 48, jaw member 12 is provided with one part of asubstantially conventional plier type cutting devicein the form of ablade 50 adapted for engaging the anvil or further cutting blade portion52 on jaw member 20 and directly opposed to knife edge 50.

Jaw member 20 also has a forwardly facing shoulder 54 at the back end ofrecess 40 and rearwardly there'- from is a region 56 of about the samelength as notch 44 in jaw member 12 and converges toward notch 44. Theregion 56, as will best be seen in FIG. 5, has-side flanks 58 receivableinside notch 44 while along the peak of region 56 there is a smallernotch 60 also preferably a right angle notch with the juncture of thelegs in the lowermost position.

The utility of the plier tool according to the present invention may beappreciated upon reference to FIGS.

3, 4 and 10 through 14. In FIG. 3, the jaw members 12 and 20 will beseen to be engaging a rod-like member 62 in gripping relation thereto.The upper part of the rod-like member is engaged in groove 44 of jawmember 12 and the lower part is engaged by the top of arcuate region 56of jaw member 20.

less of the diameter. Thus, this arrangement together with the palmplate allows for easy twisting or pushpulling or lever action of theparts being held.

FIG. 10 shows how a flat plate-like member 66 can be grippingly engagedbetween jaws 12 and 20 by being engaged by the upper jaw by regions 68and 70 on the upper jaw which are flat and which extend longitudinallytherealong at the side edges of the groove 44 in the upper jaw member.On the underside, the member 66 is gripped by the peaks 72 and 74therealong the region 56 of the lower jaw member which occur at thejunctures of flanks 58 of the region 56 with the sides of the notch 60formed in the top of region 56.

FIG. 11 shows how a triangular member of fairly large size, indicated at76, can be gripped between the jaw members by presenting one flat sideof the triangular member downwardly for engagement by the peaks 72 and74 previously referred to on the lower jaw member while an apex of thetriangular member is engaged by the notch 44 in theupper jaw member atthe bottom of the said notch.

FIG. 12 shows a similar arrangement except that the triangular member 78is substantially smaller and in this case it is of advantage to place anapex of the triangular member in the bottom of groove 60 and to permitthe other apices of the triangular member to be engaged by the sides ofnotch 44 in jaw member 12.

FIG. 13 shows a circular work member 80 gripped between the jaws, and itwill be seen that the sides of notch 44 on jaw 12 are engagingperipherally spaced points of the work member while the peaks 72 and 74previously referred to engage space points on the underside of thecircular member.

FIG. 14 shows a rectangular work member 82, and the upper side thereofis engaged in notch 44 of upper jaw member 12 while the lower side isengaged in notch 60 of lower jaw member 20.

It will be apparent that the configuration of the opposed faces of thejaw members of the tool according to the present invention are adaptedfor firmly gripping a wide variety of shapes and that a close bite canbe taken on a variety of workpieces by the recesses at the outer freeends of the jaw members while articles gripped between the jawmemberscan be pushed and pulled, pushing of such gripped objects beingfacilitated by the provision of the rounded palm member 16 on the end ofthe screw 14.

In respect of pushing and pulling or twisting or lever type operations,reference may be made to FIG. 1, wherein the dashed line 84 indicatesthe axis of screw 14 and which dashed line will be seen to be disposedon the side of jaw member 12 which faces jaw member 20. Due to thisoffset position of handle 10, and which is a novel feature of thepresent invention, the line of action of a twisting or reciprocating orlever type force applied to the pliers, by way of palm plate, screw 14and other portions of the handle and by way of the curved member 16,will always fall within the confines of a work member gripped betweenthe jaw members.

In respect of the recesses 38 and 40, it will be appreciated that,inasmuch as these recesses taper inwardly toward the outer free ends ofthe jaw members, when the jaw members are finished off flat on the endsas will be seen in the drawings, the recesses have relatively sharpedges which will facilitate the gripping of objects thereby. Further,the inside of the .cavity formed by the opposed recesses is alsoadvantageously provided with serrations in the form of fine verticalgrooves.

The configuration of the recesses, together with the grooves referredto, enables the jaws to take a very close bite on articles, while at thesame time, the article is forced into the cavity rather than outwardlytherefrom so that the tool does not easily slip off an article andtwisting and bending operations can be performed thereon.

What is claimed is:

1. A locking type plier tool having a first and second jaw element inopposed relation with free forward ends and pivotally interconnectednear the rear ends, a pair of handle members operatively connected tosaid jaw elements for movement of the jaw elements in closing directiontoward each other and in opening direction away from each other, meansfor adjusting the spacing between the jaw elements in closed positionthereof, means for locking the jaw elements in closed position, saidfirst jaw element having a longitudinal first groove on the side facingsaid second jaw element, said second jaw element provided with anelongated arcuate shaped protuberant portion having lateral flanksadapted to be receivable inside the first groove, and said protuberantportion having a longitudinal second groove for cooperating with thefirst groove whereby a workpiece of different configurations can beclamped thereby.

2. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which the first jawelement is provided with a longitudinal first notch at the forward endwhich registers with said first groove and said jaw element is providedwith a longitudinal second notch at the forward end which registers withsaid second groove.

3. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which the said jawelements are provided with arecess therein rearwardly of the first andsecond grooves to provide a space to receive an enlargement on the endof a member gripped between said jaw elements.

4. A locking type plier tool according to claim 2 in which the saidfirst and second grooves are V-shaped and said first and second notchesdiverge toward said first and second grooves respectively and with theapices of said first and second grooves disposed in a common plane.

5. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 i which said secondgroove at the open side is narrower than said first groove at the openside.

6. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which said firstgroove is V-shaped in cross section and the lateral flanks of saidprotuberant portion are substantially parallel to the side surfaces ofsaid first groove.

7. A locking type plier tool according to claim 2 in which said firstand second notches taper inwardly in the forward direction at theforward ends of said jaw elements.

8. A locking type plier tool according to claim 6 in which the rearwardends of the tapered regions of said first and second notches compriseforwardly facing shoulders.

9. A locking type plier toolaccording to claim 1 in which said means foradjusting the closed position of said jaw elements includes a screwextending in the fore and aft direction and threaded into the end of oneof said handle members at the end thereof opposite said jaw elements andprotruding in the rearward direction from the handle member, and a palmplate of substantial diameter fixed to the protruding end of said screw.

10. A locking type plier tool according to claim 9 in which said onehandle member in which the screw is threaded is fixedly connected to oneof said jaw elements, the axis of said screw being offset from the saidone side of said one jaw element toward the other jaw element.

1. A locking type plier tool having a first and second jaw element in opposed relation with free forward ends and pivotally interconnected near the rear ends, a pair of handle members operatively connected to said jaw elements for movement of the jaw elements in closing direction toward each other and in opening direction away from each other, means for adjusting the spacing between the jaw elements in closed position thereof, means for locking the jaw elements in closed position, said first jaw element having a longitudinal first groove on the side facing said second jaw element, said second jaw element provided with an elongated arcuate shaped protuberant portion having lateral flanks adapted to be receivable inside the first groove, and said protuberant portion having a longitudinal second groove for cooperating with the first groove whereby a workpiece of different configurations can be clamped thereby.
 2. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which the first jaw element is provided with a longitudinal first notch at the forward end which registers with said first groove and said jaw element is provided with a longitudinal second notch at the forward end which registers with said second groove.
 3. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which the said jaw elements are provided with a recess therein rearwardly of the first and second grooves to provide a space to receive an enlargement on the end of a member gripped between said jaw elements.
 4. A locking type plier tool according to claim 2 in which the said first and second grooves are V-shaped and said first and second notches diverge toward said first and second grooves respectively and with the apices of said first and second grooves disposed in a common plane.
 5. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which said second groove at the open side is narrower than said first groove at the open side.
 6. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which said first groove is V-shaped in cross section and the lateral flanks of said protuberant portion are substantially parallel to the side surfaces of said first groove.
 7. A locking type plier tool according to claim 2 in which said first and second notches taper inwardly in the forward direction at the forward ends of said jaw elements.
 8. A locking type plier tool according to claim 6 in which the rearward ends of the tapered regions of said first and second notches comprise forwardly facing shoulders.
 9. A locking type plier tool according to claim 1 in which said means for adjusting the closed position of said jaw elements includes a screw extending in the fore and aft direction and threaded into the end of one of said handle members at the end thereof opposite said jaw elements and protruding in the rearward direction from the handle member, and a palm plate of substantial diameter fixed to the protruding end of said screw.
 10. A locking type plier tool according to claim 9 in which said one handle member in which the screw is threaded is fixedly connected to one of said jaw elements, the axis of said screw being offset from the said one side of said one jaw element toward the other jaw element. 